Give me children, or else I'll die. - Idolatry

In the book Idols of the Heart, Elyse Fitzpatrick reminds us of the story of Rachel in Genesis 29-31. After seeing her sister Leah have six sons and longing for the favor of her husband Jacob, she demands of God, "Give me children, or else I'll die." That is a pretty strong statement. "God, give me this or else." We would all agree that a desire for children is not wrong but a desire for children that says, "I must have more children to be happy" is idol worship. Rachel believed that having children was something she had to have so it was her god.

So what is an idol? Fitzpatrick goes on to say that "idols are thoughts, desires, longings, and expectations that we worship in the place of the true God. Idols cause us to ignore the true God in search of what we think we need."

Idolatry is all about love. Read Matthew 22:37-38. We worship what we love the most. Rachel loved the idea of having children. So much so that she had to have children or else she felt like she would die (Fitzpatrick notes the irony that Rachel died giving birth to her second child). What we love and want most is our god.

In 1 John 5:21 when John says, "Little children, guard yourselve from idols" he is essentially saying what Solomon has already said in Proverbs 4:23, "Guard your heart with all vigilance for from it flow the springs of life."

What do you desire more than anything? What do you have to have in order to be happy? What do you want so badly that you say to God, "Give me this, or else I'll die"?

Your answer to these questions reveals what you worship. Your answer reveals who your god is. Idolatry is when your answer to the above questions is something other than our triune God of the Bible.

This week spend time thinking about what you love the most in your life. What do you desire? On what do your affections rest on? Do not be surprised if your joy and love do not rest on Christ alone. John Calvin once wrote that man's nature is a "factory of idols." But Christ came to change our hearts from being hearts of stone to hearts of flesh. We have been made into a new creation, because of the work of Jesus Christ. We have hearts that can love God more than the things of this world. At one time you were enslaved to these idols, but no longer. "For freedom Christ has set you free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery" Galatians 5:1.

With arms wide open, Christ is calling us to repentance and faith. Run to Him today and allow the person of Jesus Christ to capture your heart. And be ready to challenge your students this week to do the same. They may not have a miniture Buddah at home that they worship, but their hearts do worship something. Challenge them to find out what that something is and lead them to love God above all things.